RV y exploración Chiapas, México (RVing and Exploring Chiapas, Mexico)

A caravan through this southern Mexico State meant discovering quaint villages, beachside RV retreats, and unbeatable scenery.

by

Story by Dan & Lisa Goy, Owners, Baja Amigos RV Caravan Tours

There’s nothing quite like leading a caravan of RV enthusiasts through a foreign country only to enjoy beautiful landscapes, relaxing RV parks, and the anticipation of new adventure. That’s what our caravan group experienced on a recent two-week tour through the state of Chiapas in Southern México.

Leaving Quintana Roo alongside the Caribbean, our group motored southwest to the State of Chiapas in mid-February. The drive on Hwy 186 was uneventful, but we did encounter numerous villages from Quintana Roo to Campeche into Chiapas and entering Chiapas was notable as we were confronted by a massive security facility that we had to clear.

At the request of security, we had to show passports, vehicle registration, import permits and confirmation of VINs. It’s also worth mentioning that this was the first and only time on our Mexican adventure that we were subject to this strict clearance while traveling state to state. However, it’s really not surprising given a group of armed rebels led by Subcomandante Marcos came to the world's attention when on January 1, 1994 (the day the NAFTA treaty went into effect) the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) occupied San Cristobal de Las Casas and many others.

Once cleared, however, we drove directly to the City of Palenque, which is home of the famous Mayan archeological site and the former city state that flourished in the 7th century. The Palenque ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. AD 799. After its decline, it was absorbed into the jungle of cedar, mahogany, and sapodilla trees, but has since been excavated and restored. It’s now a famous archaeological site attracting thousands of visitors every year.

We drove thru town and headed to the Maya-Bell campground, located in the heart of the jungle with clean washrooms, showers, a pool and nice restaurant. After setting up our sites we returned to town for supplies and then enjoyed an evening swim.

The next morning we were off to explore the Mayan ruins. These jungle ruins are stunning, especially with the absence of hordes of tourists. It’s amazing to think only five percent of the existing structures have been uncovered on this 640-acre site as more than 1,500 structures remain beneath the jungle on the mountain side and valley.

Near the end of our visit – and the sunny skies were replaced by torrential downpours – we returned to the campground. Although the rain continued through the afternoon and overnight into the next day, we were eventually greeted with lots of blue sky, providing ideal weather to visit the Cascada de Misol-Há, a popular waterfall and swimming location near Palenque.

After climbing from 75 m (200 ft) to 300 m (1,000 ft) in elevation, we arrived at the entrance where we were greeted by local Ejido members, collecting $10 Pesos per person for entry. As the road to the falls crosses two Ejido lands, there were two additional entry fees at two different collection points, costing $20 Pesos and $30 pesos ($1.50 and $2.50 USD).

However, the falls were impressive as they thundered down approximately 35 m (100 ft). The walkway behind the falls was deafening and access was a little sketchy on the stairs, given the recent heavy rain. Following our trip, the rest of our day was enjoyed poolside at the RV resort, admiring the Howler monkeys as they circled up close and personal in the trees – very cool and lots of howling.

Cascadas de Agua Azul

Four days later, we departed Palenque and the Maya-Bell campground for Cascadas de Agua Azul, with Caravan members Rafael and Eileen Verdejo leading the group. This is another must-see and popular destination. Meaning "Blue-water Falls," Cascadas de Agua Azul consists of a series of waterfalls on the Xanil River in the Chiapas. They consist of many cataracts following one after the other and are famed for their bright turquoise waters.

Although only a 70 km (40 mi) drive on Hwy 180, it took almost two hours with the many switchbacks, the roadside mountain villages with vendors of all ages, and a road block manned by mothers, infants and children.  Candy worked well at first for the kids, not so well when vendors became persistent collectors demanding cash. So, our group of six RVs came to a grinding halt. Kids were hanging off mirrors and jumping on running boards.  Our impasse was brief as Mexicans behind us were having none of this and blew by us and thru roadblock. We immediately followed and continued our journey. 

Delays aside, the mountainous and jungle scenery was spectacular.  At the entrance to Cascades de Agua Azul, we paid a small ecological fee of $50 Pesos (approximately $2.25 USD), and then dry camped near the falls on a large grassy area in the shade. The falls exceeded our expectations as they tumbled down the mountain slope 10 or 20 feet (3 or 6 m) at a time, with a boardwalk running the entire length of the falls. In addition, there were many shops selling locally-produced goods and there were also a good selection of restaurants. After lunch, the ladies went shopping and most of the guys relaxed, soaked up the sun and enjoyed cold beverages.

San Cristóbal de Las Casas

Following our overnight stop, our next destination after Cascades de Agua Azul was San Cristóbal de Las Casas with the Verdejo’s leading our group. Also known by its native Tzotzil name, Jovel, San Cristóbal de Las Casas is located in the Central Highlands region and was the Capital of the State until 1892, yet is still considered the cultural center of Chiapas.

Although it was a journey of only 158 km (100 mi) with a drive that consisted of many turns and ups and downs as we climbed to an elevation of 2,133 m (7000 ft), the scenery was nothing short of amazing. In addition to the incredible vistas, our journey took us through the towns of Ocosingo, Abasolo, San Sebastian, and Rancho Nuevo just before joining Hwy 190 and the final leg to San Cristobal.

When we arrived, we quickly realized our hotel parking arrangements would not work. Luckily, the PEMEX Station 5661 across the street was able to accommodate us at $40 Pesos ($1.85 USD) per day. It only entailed dry camping and no Wi-Fi or showers – but it worked.

The next day, we made our first foray into the town centre and the city lived up to all of the hype. We were able to find parking near the Zocalo and went to see what the town had to offer. Major landmarks include the Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Church with its large open-air crafts market, and the Casa Na Bolom Museum.

We then visited the Church Guadalupe on a low rise to get a better view of the city. The interior was very impressive as was the panoramic view of San Cristóbal de Las Casas. During our walk about, we encountered many indigenous women wearing traditional Tzotzil dresses. Good thing we didn’t bring the RVs into town as the streets were narrow and many congested with traffic. Later, we had lunch on a roof-top restaurant on the main square, and then went back to the RVs and relaxed for the rest of our stay.

Our last day in San Cristobal was busy as we went downtown to the Santo Domingo Dominican Convent and the open-air textile market. This was an unforgettable experience with so many vendors, selling so many goods consisting of beautiful, vibrant colours – just fabulous.

After walking the entire outdoor market, we once again enjoyed lunch, met at the 2:00 pm rendezvous time and then made our way to the PEMEX “campground.” A visit to San Cristobal de las Casas is a must for any traveler to Mexico – we could have spent much more time here.

Puerto Arista

After day 3, it was time to move on to our final destination as Bruce and Marian lead the group to Puerto Arista, a small Pacific beachside community and popular tourist destination. This seaside village is home to one of the State’s four marine turtle sanctuaries, designed to help protect the various species that come here to spawn. Taking Hwy 190, we dropped from 2500 m (7000 ft) to sea level and most of the decent was within a 50 km (30 miles) stretch.

Our destination was Jose’s Cabanas and Campground, a couple of blocks from the beach in a coconut grove. It turned out that Jose is actually “Joel” from Ottawa, ON, who has been in Mexico for 41 years. It was easy to locate and the sites were large and easy to access. While amenities were sparse with electrical supply at a minimum, the showers were clean, well-built and had great pressure. Jose’s was also reasonable at $200 Pesos ($10 USD) per day.

Behind the campground was a lagoon full of storks, herons and crocodiles, which Bruce and Marian got up close and personal with after dark. We spent time on the beach boogey boarding, swimming and just simply relaxing on the beautiful and endless deserted stretch of sand and ocean. On the evening before our departure, one member of our group, Rafael, found a local family keen to host a lobster dinner at their house. The meal was amazing and also reasonable at just $180 pesos per plate (less than $10 USD).

Hard to believe we were in Chiapas for almost two weeks. We’re not sure we will ever get back, but the memories will last a lifetime.